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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|